HOW TO MAKE PIZZA

"Panning" the Prepared Pizza Dough

One of the most demanding of the pizza maker's many challenges is getting the raw pizza dough ball into a pizza pan. Depending on the style, size, composition and number of pizzas one chooses to make, the methods of sizing, shaping, trimming, and ultimately, panning the pizza dough, take on several forms.

Pizza Dough Sheeting

Pizza Xpress™ Dough Sheeter

Mechanical dough sheeters are ingenious contraptions used principally in high-volume restaurant and institutional foodservice settings. They can automatically roll out a dough ball to a specific thickness and diameter. Sheeters come in various sizes and are able to quickly produce pizza dough circles from 7½" to 18" round. Generally, retail costs for such equipment ranges from $2,875 to $4,595. Although sheeters offer timing-saving and labor-saving advantages, they can be cost prohibitive. The average home pizza-maker, however avid a pizza-maker he may be, would either have to be independently wealthy or barking mad to want to employ a commercial pizza dough sheeter in his kitchen.

If you have ever considered how large pizza chains can possibly produce so many pizzas in a given work day, the mechanical pizza dough sheeter is one of their secret weapons. Thankfully, there are other dough panning methods available to the home pizza-maker.

Pizza Dough Pressing

Somerset Dough Press

Mechanical pizza dough presses are ingenious contraptions, as well. Presses can quickly flatten a pizza dough ball to an adjustable thickness in circles up to 18" round. They come in "hot" and "cold" models that retail in the range from $2,315 to $3,095. Once again, pizza dough presses are used principally in high-volume restaurant and institutional foodservice settings, or, in smaller restaurants where the operator wants to offer pizza on his menu, but, may not have to the time, staff, energy or talent to pan pizza dough by any other method.

In consideration of the cost/benefit ratio of the mechanical pizza dough press, the home pizza-maker may find himself "hard-pressed" to have a mechanical dough press at his disposal in his home pizza kitchen setting.

Hand Tossing Pizza Dough

  Hand Tossing - An Art, A Skill & A Spectator Sport

Hand tossing pizza dough appears to be a simple enough procedure for coaxing a pizza dough ball into a useable dough circle. Just toss and spin the dough at a high rate of speed into the air, let nature's centrifugal forces magically stretch the dough to the appropriate thickness and diameter desired, and then catch the spinning mass without poking a hole in it or having it land on the floor. Not so fast...Kemosabe! Once the quaint purview of matron-bakers in hillside kitchens of olde, or, of the occasional pizza operator gyrating in his store-front window to attract customers, hand tossing pizza dough has evolved into an international spectator sport replete with industry accolades, gold medals and prize money.

It may be more fun to try hand-tossing your pizza dough than actually arriving at acceptable results. Less costly than the previously mentioned panning methods, hand tossing can be hard on the elbows though, particularly if you follow this fellow's example. Don't be dissuaded from honing your hand-tossing skills, however, remember...practice, (if you are so inclined), makes perfect! Otherwise, unless you have the agility, stamina and hand-eye coordination of an Olympic athlete, you may want to resort to simpler panning methods.

Hand Pressing Pizza Dough

  Hand Pressing Can Become De-Pressing

Hand pressing a pizza dough ball directly into the pizza pan begins to approach a more manageable dough panning method for the home pizza-maker. Yet, this process is still labor-intensive and can generally results in unevenness of the dough's thickness and an irregularly-shaped crust edge, (unless you like your pizza that way). Some old-school, die-hard pizza operators still prefer the hand-pressing method, but, have paid dearly for their obstinacy with bulging triceps, chronic neck pains and arthritis of the hands.

In lieu of a rolling pin, hand-pressers who have tired of fighting to get their elastic dough ball to conform to the shape of their baking pan, have been known to resort to using wine bottles, water glasses and even wooden mallets to cajole their pizza dough into shape. If you insist on plying the hand-pressing method of pizza dough panning, try the following helpful hints.

Place the flattened portion of dough in the center of the pan. With palms and fingers, begin pressing the dough outward to the edge of the baking pan. Make every effort to maintain a consistent thickness of dough on the bottom of the pan. Continue to stretch and press, and stretch and press, and stretch and press, and stretch and press, and stretch and press, and stretch and press the dough until its outer edge meets and begins to bunched up against the inner wall or curled edge of the baking pan. Finish the crust edge by fluting it with your thumb or a fork. Happy now?

Pin Rolling Pizza Dough

The Humble Rolling Pin, The Pizza Maker's Friend

Trim the excess dough away from the outer edge of the pan with a dough knife, or, curl the excess inward to form a fatter crust edge. If you wish, add a decorative touch by using  your thumb to press the dough edge inward around the pan edge, "fluting" it as you go.

Là vous l'avez!

A Final Precautionary Procedure

At this point, some pizza bakers will prick several series of small holes into and around the flattened dough sheet, (going all the way through to the baking pan surface), with a fork to prevent the dough from "bubbling." This is often caused when air builds up and is trapped underneath the dough as the pizza bakes. 

Now that you have a perfectly shaped, "panned" sheet of dough you are ready for sauce, cheese and toppings. Or, after covering it or tightly wrapping it, you can store it in a freezer for use in the future, or, in the refrigerator for prep and baking later in the day.

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